She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 27.2

The people shook their heads repeatedly, not daring to provoke this mysterious Lin Dongruan any longer. The more ignorant and impoverished a place, the more they feared gods and demons.

They attributed their various misfortunes to the punishment of spirits—even droughts, floods, or locust plagues were seen as the displeasure of the supernatural.

Lin Dongruan knew what they feared, so she used the techniques of the Qimen Dunjia (mystical gates and hidden techniques) to silence them. She could endure baseless accusations and insults, but she did not want A-Ning to suffer such humiliation. After the crowd left, she slowly sat down, leaning against the doorframe, feeling utterly miserable.

“You all did well. Here is your reward.” In a deserted corner of the street, Qiang Ning generously tossed a heavy bag of silver to the villagers from before. The crowd immediately scrambled for it. In the chaos, they tore at each other, someone’s foot was stepped on, someone’s hair was pulled…

Qiang Ning watched these people coldly, the expression on her face growing increasingly grim. —The world bustles for a few pieces of silver. But these people, for money, unhesitatingly bit the hand that fed them—the doctor, Lin Dongruan. She had heard all the malicious words just now; they were so poisonous, so hard to listen to. Even though she knew Sister-in-law Zhou had hired them to act, she still could not restrain her hatred for these people.

Naturally, Qiang Ning would not blame herself. She would only transfer her anger onto others. If anyone was to blame, it was these people for being greedy for money and having bad luck. “Song Luo.” Qiang Ning called him over, crossing her arms. She turned and walked a few paces before quietly giving the order to dispose of them. “These people… silence them.”

Song Luo bowed and took the order, quietly guarding the entrance to the alley. He raised his hand, and the shadow guards who had been hidden on the nearby rooftops immediately appeared. In the corner, those fighting for the money had already lost their heads. Some were biting the silver in their hands, while others looked greedily at the money held by others. After a moment of silence, the man who had lost his teeth looked at the small amount of silver in his hand. The more he thought, the angrier he got. He cursed under his breath and looked sinisterly at those who had grabbed more money—

And so, he started it, and the remaining people began to hit and tear at each other again because they were unsatisfied with the distribution. After a long time, the people were exhausted. Someone had a broken finger, another had hair torn out; the crowd lay slumped on the ground in a pathetic state, still cursing each other. It was at this moment that the cloudless noon suddenly grew overcast, as if it were about to rain. Someone scrambled up with a limp and suddenly saw the medical hall manager, Song Luo, not far away.

Song Luo was dressed in a deep gray robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling amiably. “Oh, Manager Song has come to see the excitement too. Just in time, come look at my leg…” Before his words could land, his neck suddenly felt hot, and his body fell uncontrollably… In front of him was quiet dust; out of the corner of his eye, he saw blood gushing from the necks of those around him. And Manager Song, at the side of the alley, still wore that broad and proper smile, raising his hand in a gesture as if sewing a mouth shut.

The more oppressive and dry the weather, the easier it was for a clear sky to turn to dark clouds. By the time Song Luo finished the executions, the heavy rain had begun to fall. Song Luo looked up at the weather. “People don’t fear scarcity, but inequality. These clouds are the same—they’re in one place and not in another.” But this rain came at the perfect time; it would conveniently wash the ground, cleaning away the large patches of blood.

On the other side, Lin Dongruan was taking shelter from the rain under the eaves. Her thin clothes fluttered in the wind. She had just felt the coolness brought by a gust when she realized the wind was being blocked by someone. Qiang Ning approached with an umbrella. “Sister, I saw the weather looked bad, so I went to borrow an umbrella.” Lin Dongruan nodded and gave her a tired smile. “The weather is turning from hot to cold; A-Ning, do not catch a chill.” Qiang Ning gave an “Mhm” and then looked inside the house, asking curiously, “Sister, why don’t you go inside to hide from the rain?” “Xu Zhang is dead; the house is unclean. A-Ning, do not go in to look,” Lin Dongruan said. “When the rain gets heavier, we should head home first.”

Qiang Ning took her arm. “Sister, are you feeling unwell?” “Perhaps it is the heat.” Lin Dongruan was exhausted in both body and mind. She took one step and swayed. Qiang Ning supported her firmly. “Then let’s go home immediately.” Home. The word “home” always has a strange restorative effect on people. It’s as if once home, one can cast aside all weariness and rest for a short while to recover.

The umbrella was held low, and the rain trickled down the ribs and edges. Lin Dongruan could not see the path ahead; she could only let Qiang Ning support her as they walked. After walking for an unknown amount of time, Qiang Ning suddenly stopped and didn’t move again. Lin Dongruan heard Qiang Ning speak hesitantly, her voice trembling, “Sister, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Our home is gone.” “A-Ning, how could you get lost?” Lin Dongruan lifted the edge of the umbrella slightly and saw the scene ahead—

The familiar courtyard was still there, but the buildings were a pile of charred ruins. All the furnishings inside had been burnt to cinders; clothes, blankets, and tables had all vanished into ash in the sea of fire. Qiang Ning’s eyes were red, and she almost cried out, “Sister, what should we do? We have no home.” Yes, no home. Lin Dongruan looked at the ruins, her eyes filled with unavoidable sorrow. But the immediate concern was not the house; she still had Qiang Ning with her, and they needed to find a place to stay to escape the rain.

“A-Ning, a house can be rebuilt if it’s gone. Do not cry; this is not something worth crying over. Let’s go to the medical hall to take shelter first.” As the older sister, Lin Dongruan naturally could not show her distress in front of Qiang Ning. She had to protect her, so she could only remain calm and seek a solution. “Let’s go. After the rain passes, we will find a way.” The rain grew heavier. The umbrella was nearly torn by the gale several times, and one of the ribs was close to breaking. Whether it shielded them from the rain was no longer important, for both were soaked through. How could thin summer clothes withstand such a downpour? The chill spread from their hearts to their bodies. Lin Dongruan’s fingers were icy, and her lips were pale to the extreme.

Fortunately, the two of them soon arrived at the medical hall. Because the rain was too heavy, the medical hall had also closed its doors. Lin Dongruan stepped forward to knock, quietly waiting for the manager. Song Luo soon came to open the door, standing at the entrance and asking politely, “Doctor Lin, what brings you here?” Lin Dongruan was taken aback—because she had worked at the medical hall, she had occasionally rested there during the midday. She had thought she and Qiang Ning were quite familiar to Song Luo. The Song Luo of before would never have been so distant. If she were standing here, he would surely have let her into the house first instead of blocking the door and asking for her purpose like this.

She said, “An unfortunate fire broke out at home. Manager Song, could you let A-Ning and me stay for a day or two?” Song Luo smiled and shook his head. “I must ask for Doctor Lin’s understanding; my medical hall has no more rooms.” “You’re lying! There are so many rooms on the second floor, how could they all be occupied in one day? Even if they are, why can’t one be cleared for me and my sister for just one day?” Qiang Ning pretended to question him indignantly, “Even if there are no rooms, why can’t you let us in to take shelter from the rain?” Song Luo remained very polite. “Apologies, the medical hall is a business too. Please understand.”

Lin Dongruan stepped back half a pace, realizing the reason. The villagers’ words today had eventually reached the ears of the medical hall manager. No one would ever come to the medical hall to see her again. Song Luo knew she was no longer of use; if he took her in, it might even drive away customers. No one would ruin their own business; this was human nature. Song Luo was no exception and was unwilling to invite trouble. “A-Ning, let’s go.” Lin Dongruan took Qiang Ning’s hand as if grasping her only concern. Although Qiang Ning had been in the rain for a long time, she was naturally quite satisfied. She grasped Lin Dongruan’s hand back, feeling joyful in her heart, though she still wore a mask of sorrow on her face. Lin Dongruan had nothing left; she was the only person Lin Dongruan could not let go of.

Behind them, the medical hall door closed again. Song Luo returned inside and wiped his sweat. He smiled helplessly and said to his subordinate, “What is Her Highness suffering for? She had to be drenched like that just to keep up the act. She is truly devoted to the Imperial Preceptor.” The others agreed, “Indeed she is.” Song Luo said, “Is everything packed? We are ready to leave Wusang Town at any time.”

“Sister, where are we going…” The wind and rain grew even stronger, and the umbrella had already been torn. Lin Dongruan held Qiang Ning tightly in her arms, and the two of them huddled under the eaves of a building for shelter. The wind and rain drowned out Qiang Ning’s voice, or perhaps Lin Dongruan was feeling too unwell. Qiang Ning waited for a long time without an answer. She turned her head, only to see Lin Dongruan’s swaying and wretched appearance.

This was all caused by Qiang Ning, yet Qiang Ning did not feel it was a hardship. She reached out to touch Lin Dongruan’s forehead; it was burning hot. The woman was likely already delirious. In her blurred consciousness, Lin Dongruan pulled Qiang Ning forcefully and whispered an apology for making her suffer. Qiang Ning was silent. “When we came out, I didn’t bring any money, only this… A-Ning, A-Ning, go find a place to stay. Don’t worry about me.” Lin Dongruan’s fingers were so frozen she couldn’t curl them. Her shoulders were tense and shivering. She tried hard to press the string of copper coins into Qiang Ning’s hand. “A-Ning, take it, take it…”

Qiang Ning paused for a moment and asked, “What about you? Why won’t you come with me?” Lin Dongruan smiled with difficulty and whispered, “They won’t let me stay; they’ll think I’m bad luck.” “No, it’s not like that. Don’t take it to heart, they were lying to you.” Qiang Ning suddenly felt a pang of heartache. “No, no, it’s true. A-Ning, believe me. Don’t be stubborn, go find a place to stay and take shelter.” Lin Dongruan finally forced the string of coins into Qiang Ning’s hands. She said, “It is my fault for letting you be out in the rain with me.”

The real culprit who had burned the house down, Qiang Ning: “…” Lin Dongruan’s reaction was so sincere that Qiang Ning felt a twinge of guilt. Holding the string of copper coins, she felt very uneasy. “Go—” Lin Dongruan used all her strength to push Qiang Ning away. Qiang Ning was only pushed back two or three steps. She took the opportunity to retreat a bit further, seeing the feverish Lin Dongruan, her face flushed, kneeling in the rain as if she had lost all her strength. The copper coins were cold and damp. Qiang Ning gripped them tightly in her palm, looking down at Lin Dongruan from a few steps away. The person kneeling before her was wretched to the extreme, the rain soaking her thin back, but it could not break her proud spirit. Even in this situation, Lin Dongruan was still noble and untainted.

Qiang Ning looked down and played with the thin string of coins, suddenly feeling some unusual patterns. She brought them closer to look through the rain—there were twenty-seven coins, with one missing. If that one was added, it would be a complete set of the Twelve Branches and Twenty-Eight Mansions, which Lin Dongruan normally used for telling time and divination. This string of coins was no small matter. Qiang Ning suddenly remembered hearing about something: her mother, the Empress, had specifically ordered a set of special coins to be cast for the Imperial Preceptor as a gesture of thanks, allowing her to go to the Huguo Temple for prayers and divination. It had never been allowed for anyone to cast private currency, but the Empress had made a special exception for Lin Dongruan. What an honor and privilege that was. And a part of those coins, symbolizing favor and status, now lay quietly in her palm. Qiang Ning rubbed the coins, wondering what Lin Dongruan could have been thinking to give them to her and tell her to use them to find a place to stay.

Could it be… she was quite important to her? Otherwise, why would she give this to her? Qiang Ning looked at the person kneeling in the rain with a complex expression. Seeing her faint from weakness, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.

When Lin Dongruan woke again, the rain had stopped. She looked at the unfamiliar bed curtains and propped herself up. With this small movement, the handkerchief that had been on her forehead fell to her side. Lin Dongruan picked it up, and upon closer inspection, saw a lively flower butterfly embroidered on it. “Sister, you’re awake?” Qiang Ning entered the room, saying with a smile, “Do you feel any better now?”